


Giving and Receiving

by EmilyTT



Series: Deception [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Sorry Not Sorry, Writer's Block, stupid filler
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-23 00:30:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14320497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmilyTT/pseuds/EmilyTT
Summary: It's hard to get anything accomplished with a stupid identity in the way.





	Giving and Receiving

When he opens his eyes, the first thing he notices that he has been dressed in a suit and his arms are tightly bound behind his back. His legs are bound as well. His body is leaning against a steel wall.

Tugging to test the strength of the bindings, Dick grunts and strains against the rope despite sensing no give. He gives it another test-tug before a door obnoxiously opening ­and slamming shut causes him to jerk his head to the side. His breathing picks up speed ever so slightly as two men dressed in nearly all black stands in front of him.

“Expecting money, are you?” he questions, playing the role of I-should-be-terrified-but-this-has-happened-too-many-times Dick Grayson with perfect ease. He’d love to break his cover more than almost anything in the world, but he can’t with that camera behind them tracing his every movement.

The taller of the two grunts, but provides no form of answer while the other chuckles a little.

Dick yawns. “Just tell Bruce how much you want and I’m sure you’ll have it by tomorrow.” He smiles innocently at them, but once more they provide no response.

“What’s behind your ba-“

He is cut off as a violent swing of a bat smashes into the side of his head, and he cries out at the crunching noise coming from his cheek. A tear snakes down his face, but he forces himself to sit back up and stare at them.

“Shut up, runt,” the taller growls, patting the bat against his free hand. “We don’t need your stupid money. We just need to make a statement.”

The uninjured side of his face smirks at this, and he is quick to reply, “well if you wanted to make a statement, you could have just asked Bruce for some of the paparazzi’s attention. He gladly would have given it to you!”

The smaller speaks up this time. “That’s funny, kid. You’re funny.”

“I try my best.”

He then tilts his head to the camera. “So I’m your show and tell? Cool! Although I don’t think they’re that good when you ruin their charming looks.” He says this with a pout, and Little Man chuckles once more.

What he doesn’t anticipate, however, is Little Man moving to adjust the camera backwards another ten or so feet while Tall Man walks away.

The bat clacks against the hard surface before the sound ceases.

“I’ll tell you what,” he calls out, staring at the camera and allowing minimal amount of fear to show in his eyes. Dick swallows loudly before continuing. “You let me go now and I’ll deliver your statement to Bruce himself. Heck, if this statement is as good as you’re making it out to be, you could even run for mayor of Gotham City!”

Tall Man grunts as he reappears in view of the camera. He’s holding four containers of gasoline in his hands. A bead of sweat trickles down Dick’s face and his breathing intensifies once more.

“H-hey, what’s that for?”

As usual, he receives no response.

“Did you forget to refill your c- _ack_!” He spits and heaves as gasoline suddenly splashes into his mouth.

Tall Man lets out a laugh as Dick splutters and pukes into his own lap. “Not that kind of statement, runt… let’s get out of here, Killian.”

Killian chuckles again as Dick’s struggle against the rope renews itself. He then grabs two containers from Tall Man and dumps an entire thing directly over top of Dick.

By the time the overpowering stench of gasoline allows him to think a full thought, Killian and Tall Man are standing at the door, a match in Killian’s hands.

Dick stares desperately at the camera. “ _I love you, Dad.”_

OoO

Bruce lurches to his feet as the TV shows a man pouring a gasoline container over Dick’s entire body. He nearly crushes the phone in his hand keeping him connected to Gordon.

“ _Jesus,”_ he barely hears Gordon saying, but the smashing of cups prevents him from crushing the phone.

“Is this real?” Bruce questions, despite knowing that the answer is yes. “ _Is this real, Gordon?”_

“Bruce…”

And then the person he considered a son not two days ago stares frantically at the camera. “ _I love you, Dad,”_ Dick Grayson gets out, and then the screen flashes yellow. For a brief second, an agonized shriek can be heard as fire tears and rips and burns through skin.

And in the background, he can make out the matching shriek of Barbara Gordon, coming from the other end of the Commissioner’s phone. The poor girl, she didn’t know any better. He uses this chance to end the call before the man on the other end can try to say anything.

He turns around. Alfred stares down at the ground and hurriedly begins picking up fragments - “ _It-It appears this recording took place live in-in downtown G-Gotham, where a warehouse just b-blew up” –_ of tea cups off of the ground. Bruce leans down to help him.

“It wasn’t real, Alfred,” he murmurs, mostly to himself. “What does he gain by killing Dick Grayson in front of the whole world?”

Alfred pauses to glance up at him, a sad, solemn gaze pointedly staring at the cast supporting Bruce’s broken arm from his fight with the young ward. “Everything, Master Bruce. Richard can gain everything from this… trauma. He has trapped the entire League in a corner.”

Bruce returns the gaze with a focused one. “But why help Bruce Wayne from having to cover for Dick Grayson’s disappearance?”

“Master Bruce, I am not sure anyone can predict what thoughts are circulating through his head. He fooled us all, sir. Have you been able to discover when he became this ‘mole’ that plagued the Young Justice team?”

“He was the mole from the very start, Alfred: before the team, before the Dynamic Duo, before Robin.”

**Author's Note:**

> If there are any sort of confusions about this in terms of what just happened, it'll probably be answered in the next update
> 
> I'm sorry for this really crappy filler. It's definitely nowhere near my best writing, but I really wanted to have an update out today. Sorry if Bruce and Alfred are out of character.


End file.
